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How to buy a specified semiautomatic firearm in Custer County, Colorado

Buying a specified semiautomatic firearm in Colorado from 2026-08-01 requires a firearms safety course eligibility card, issued by your county sheriff after a name-based background check. This page is the Custer County version of that process: what the county publishes, what it charges, and what is still unanswered.Check your exact model against the state's listbefore you start.

Every step, in order

These 8 steps run in order and are the same statewide. Step 2 is the only one your county controls, so it is expanded with what Custer County publishes.

1. 1

   Create a Firearm Safety System (FSS) profile online at coloradofss.com. The application portal is live as of July 20, 2026.

2. 2

   Take a government-issued photo ID and a name-based background check to your county sheriff's office. Fees are collected at this step.

   In Custer County

   Who they take

   Accepts applicants from outside the county

3. 3

   The sheriff reviews the application and issues an eligibility card if approved. The card is valid for 5 years.

4. 4

   Find a sheriff-verified firearms instructor anywhere in Colorado. The instructor checks your FSS record to determine which course you need.

5. 5

   Basic course: 4 hours, for applicants with a CPW-verified hunter-education credential. Extended course: 12 hours over at least 2 days, for everyone else.

6. 6

   Pass a written exam and a hands-on practical with a score of 90% or better.

7. 7

   A passing course score is valid for 5 years from the date you complete it.

8. 8

   At the time of sale, the dealer checks your eligibility in the FSS before completing the transfer.

What it costs in Custer County

The sheriff fee and the $52 CPW record fee are separate charges and add together. Course prices and background-check vendor prices are not published by anyone, so the total above is a floor, not a quote. Seewhat this process has actually cost people.

What Custer County actually published

"No appointment is necessary. Walk-in service is available during office hours. Fees are collected when you submit your documents (Step 2). $52.00 Colorado Parks & Wildlife — FIXED STATE FEE. $20.00 CCSO — Custer County Resident — COUNTY FEE. $100.00 CCSO — Out-of-County Resident — COUNTY FEE."

Custer County Sheriff's Office publishes a Specified Semiautomatic Firearm (SSF) Eligibility Card page (custersheriff.colorado.gov/ssf-eligibility) describing a walk-in, no-appointment process: applicants first apply through Colorado Parks & Wildlife's Firearms Safety System (coloradofss.com), then bring the required documents to the Sheriff's Office in person. Fees are collected at document submission: $52 CPW record fee plus a $20 sheriff fee for Custer County residents or $100 for out-of-county residents.

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